Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol began his work as a commercial illustrator and had his first work take off at a Supermarket exhibit in an art gallery.  His piece Campbell’s tomato soup painting became very popular.

 

He became even more famous for painting like the Green Coca-Cola Bottles.

 

He became famous by producing images that repeat again, again, and again.  Warhol's Coke bottles do this exact thing.  The art of the past was about evoking emotion and feeling out of the viewer.  The art was “creative” and at times very abstract, but Andy did not follow this trend.  The bottles are about sameness (though some lighter than others): same brand, same size, same paint surface, same fame as product. They mimic the condition of mass advertising.  Warhol worked to depersonalize a subject by enlarging it or reproducing it in monotonous, postage-stamp rows resembling supermarket displays.  One would think that this would make the art very boring and unpopular, but the art is in a way interesting and appealing.  It was almost a little bit of a shock factor when I first saw it because I was curious as to how it was created and in a way it was very interesting to look at. 

Andy also did pieces like his Mint Marilyn Monroe.  Just as his paintings like the Green Coca-Cola Bottles Andy became very well known for these pieces.  He again challenged the traditional distinctions between fine and applied art in his portrayals of political figures and celebrities.  The shades of yellow, green, and orange were used to portray her well known face in a new light.  It was the different colors that Andy incorporates into his paintings of celebrities that allows you to recognize the art as his.  He has made his own mark on his paintings so that when you see his style you know that it is a work of Andy Warhol.  This to me makes him an innovator in his form of art.  Although he sold his art for a profit which some people say takes him out of the category of artist.  I think that he is an artist because of the new style he created.